Ann* came by our office last week with some very important news. She beamed with pride when she pulled out a certificate and handed it to our staff member at the front desk. It was her GED. We made a copy of it so that the rest of the staff could share in Ann’s good news.

Earning her GED has been Ann’s goal since moving into Oak Hollow with her grandson in 2007. Oak Hollow is our 10-unit apartment community for families who have been homeless and who have disabilities. It combines low-cost, high-quality housing with on-site mentors and support staff. Ann came to Oak Hollow after a long struggle with bipolar disorder, addiction, and homelessness. Ann has been sober since 2005, when, desperate to remain that way, she left her old life behind and moved with her 12-year-old grandson to Raleigh. She found work as a kitchen employee for a retirement home, but her meager salary was not enough to afford the high cost of housing in this area, and she and her grandson moved to a homeless shelter.

Ann’s determination to make a better life for herself and her grandson was immediately noticed by shelter staff, who put her into a program for families transitioning back to housing. After several months in the program, Ann moved into Oak Hollow and has remained there ever since. Her grandson, now 16, has been in the same school for four years now, and Ann works here in the community, as a cook at a university.

Eighteen years ago in March, Wake County envisioned and created CASA to provide housing that its neediest residents could afford. Today, as an independent entity, CASA is a leader in the creation of housing that is not only affordable, but attractive, well-managed, and a true investment in the community. People like Ann are the reason CASA continues to grow, and the reason we are asking for your help in our growth. As economic pressures limit the available funds from local governments, will you make an online gift today to support our work?

After showing us her GED, Ann shared one more piece of news. She would soon begin classes at Wake Tech, and she had earned a full scholarship from the Helen Wright Center for Women, a program of Urban Ministries of Wake County. As Ann begins this new chapter in her life, she expressed her gratitude to CASA. I pass along her thanks to you.

*All names have been changed to protect privacy